Monitoring Budgets

Effective budget management requires ongoing monitoring. This guide covers how to track spending, view analytics, and identify issues before they become problems.

Budget Dashboard Overview

The budget dashboard provides a high-level view of all budgets:

Key Metrics

Budget Health Indicators

Viewing Individual Budgets

Budget Detail Page

Click on any budget to see detailed information:

Header Section:

• Budget name and description
• Cost center
• Allocation type and amount
• Enforcement mode
• Status (Active/Inactive)

Current Period Section:

Assignments Section:

• Role assignments with user counts
• User assignments with dates

Period History

View all periods for a budget:

Use this to:

• Track spending patterns over time
• Verify rollover calculations
• Identify consistently over/under-budget periods

Transaction History

View all transactions for a budget period:

Transaction Types

Transaction Table

Filtering Transactions

Filter by:

• User - See specific user's transactions
• Type - Only pending, completed, etc.
• Date Range - Specific time period
• Reference - Search by order/request ID

User Budget Status

Per User Tracking

For Per User budgets, see each user's individual status:

User Budget History

View a specific user's spending across periods:

Budget Violations

Violation Log

When users exceed their budget, violations are logged:

Violation Details

Each violation record includes:

• User - Who triggered the violation
• Budget - Which budget was exceeded
• Amounts - Requested, available, excess
• Enforcement Mode - What mode was in effect
• Action Taken - ALLOW, WARN, REQUIRE_APPROVAL, or BLOCK
• Reference - Booking request or order ID

Violation Analytics

Aggregate violation data:

Use this to:

• Identify budgets that are too tight
• Find users who consistently exceed
• Adjust enforcement or amounts

Notification Alerts

Alert Types

Configuring Alerts

In company settings:

1. Enable Send Budget Alerts
2. Set Alert Recipients (email addresses)
3. Configure per-budget Notification Thresholds

Alert Email Content

Subject: [Budget Alert] Sales Travel at 90% utilization

Budget: Sales Travel
Period: January 2024
Utilization: 90%

Current Status:
- Allocated: $15,000
- Spent: $12,500
- Pending: $1,000
- Remaining: $1,500

View details: [Link to budget]

Reporting

Export Options

Export budget data for external analysis:

Report Types

Budget Summary Report:

• All budgets with current period status
• Utilization percentages
• Over/under budget flags

Transaction Report:

• All transactions for a date range
• Filterable by budget, user, type
• Includes amounts and references

Violation Report:

• All budget violations
• Grouped by budget or user
• Total excess amounts

Common Monitoring Scenarios

Scenario 1: Monthly Budget Review

Goal: Review all budgets at month-end

Steps:

1. Go to budget dashboard
2. Filter by "Critical" or "Exceeded" status
3. Click each budget to see period details
4. Review transactions for large/unusual items
5. Check violation log for patterns
6. Adjust budgets or enforcement as needed

Scenario 2: Investigating Overspending

Goal: Understand why a budget exceeded

Steps:

1. Open the exceeded budget
2. View current period transactions
3. Sort by amount (highest first)
4. Identify large transactions
5. Check if they were proper (correct enforcement)
6. Review violations to see what happened

Scenario 3: User Budget Check

Goal: See a specific user's budget status

Steps:

1. Navigate to user's profile or budget preview
2. See their resolved budget and source
3. View current period status
4. Check transaction history
5. Verify they're on the correct budget

Scenario 4: Preparing for Next Period

Goal: Ensure smooth period transition

Steps:

1. Review current period status
2. Check for large pending reservations
3. Verify rollover settings are correct
4. Preview expected rollover amounts
5. Communicate to users if budget changes

Best Practices

Regular Reviews

Proactive Monitoring

• Set up email alerts for key thresholds
• Review violations before they pile up
• Track users who consistently exceed
• Identify budgets that are too tight/loose

Documentation

Keep notes on:

• Why budgets were set at specific amounts
• History of adjustments
• Known exceptions or special cases
• Seasonal variations in spending

Background Jobs

Two automated jobs keep budgets running smoothly:

Period Rollover Job

Runs daily to handle period transitions:

1. Identifies budgets with expired active periods
2. Calculates rollover based on each budget's policy
3. Closes expired periods and creates new ones
4. For Per User budgets, creates individual UserBudgetPeriod records

Pending Timeout Job

Runs periodically to release abandoned reservations:

1. Finds pending transactions older than the configured timeout
2. Releases each reservation, returning funds to available budget
3. Logs the release for audit purposes

Both jobs are critical for budget health. If you notice periods not transitioning or stale pending reservations, contact your system administrator.

Related Topics

• Budget Periods - Understanding period history
• Consumption Lifecycle - Transaction flow
• Company Settings - Configure alerts
• Troubleshooting - Common issues